The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin Cover

[samj]

I made a little video with the Rain Song by Led Zeppelin. The whole video is a one man show. The singing is not perfect, but that's why I'm here. Please tell me what you think.:/ samj

[KarlPawer]

Such a trippy video, mate! :cool:

I really enjoyed watching it and hearing you perform.

Since I am just a noob, I really cannot say anything about the voice other than I really liked it. Your vocal expression is top-notch for me. A little bit too much reverb and echo for my taste, but then again, I don't know the original song, so maybe that's the style of it. But well, that's something very subjective anyway.

Very well done, man!

[ronws]

Can't seem to link to the video. However, it is nice to know that I am not the only person to cover this song in this forum. I was the only one I know of to do that, for the longest time, and not much response. Most people, like Karl, simply do not know this song as it did not get a lot of airplay yet is one of the finest songs of the Led Zep catalog and shows off both John Paul Jones' arranging skills (he wrote the music) and Page's expressive,softer side. As well as Plant's jazzy feel in phrasing.

Is it possible that you could post it as a sound file on box dot com or soundcloud?

update: never mind, I got vimeo to work.

Nice arrangement, and the video editing was neat, too. I like some of the changes you did with the melody line, too. A really good effort.

I thought I was the only Led Zep freak, for a long time.

[samj]

Thank you for listening and watching the video.

@ Karl, yes, there's probably a bit much delay, but the song is from the time of the tape delay and I love this art to dramatize vocals. But it is certainly no longer appropriate.

@ Rowns, I did not know that the song was written by John Paul Jones, (I love this Melotron) I always thought it was Jimmy Page, also because of the special guitar tuning, which gives the song this melancholy for me. I thank you for that input.

[jonpall]

When I was I teenager, I considered this to be the most beautiful song I've ever heard. Good job on the vocals.

[ronws]

Thank you for listening and watching the video.

@ Karl, yes, there's probably a bit much delay, but the song is from the time of the tape delay and I love this art to dramatize vocals. But it is certainly no longer appropriate.

@ Rowns, I did not know that the song was written by John Paul Jones, (I love this Melotron) I always thought it was Jimmy Page, also because of the special guitar tuning, which gives the song this melancholy for me. I thank you for that input.

JPJ composed this song on the melatron. Jimmy played a 12-string for most of this.

Man, I know way too much trivia about Led Zep. And I agree with Jonpall, this is a beautiful song and under-appreciated by most of the listening public. It's actually more difficult to play and sing that "Stairway to Heaven." My cover was me playing the guitar and singing at the same time, so I had to do some different arranging to create the same flow.

[Adolph Namlik]

Great Job, samj !!! :cool:

Have you considered uploading your video to the "Social Media Site" ??? I sent you an invitation to join if you haven't done so....

Here's a quick link to upload the video >> http://www.themodernvocalist.com/video/video/new

Warmest Regards,

Adolph

[samj]

Great Job, samj !!! :cool:

Have you considered uploading your video to the "Social Media Site" ??? I sent you an invitation to join if you haven't done so....

Here's a quick link to upload the video >> http://www.themodernvocalist.com/video/video/new

Warmest Regards,

Adolph

I am really happy that you like it and thanks for the link. I've just uploaded the video.:)

[ronws]

I just realized with this thread, and with all my Led Zep covers, I could be accused of being a fanboy.

I look back at the 2 dozen or so covers I have done and almost half of them are Led Zep.

I still think they are the greatest rock band, ever. And it's the whole jazz feel of the band, even with their heaviest stuff, that really gets to me. That is, it was not about "virtuosity," though each member was virtuouso in his own right. It was not about singing the highest note, even though every singer since the late 60's patterned his persona after Plant. It was not about the fastest note. It was about art.

I have seen and heard several live performances and Jimmy has never played the song the same way, twice in a row. Each show is a unique work of art.

But man, the songwriting, the breadth of style, the total dedication of art. Yeah, it's great that I can sing whatever Plant sings but I don't sound like him and I don't try to sound like him. But I totally get off on the jazz vibe and put that in there, when I am singing this stuff.

Sam, this should be testament to your skills and quality. I don't think I had this many comments on my cover of "The Rain Song."

[Adolph Namlik]

I am really happy that you like it and thanks for the link. I've just uploaded the video.

Now FEATURED on the "Social Home Page" of TMV World !!! :cool:

[Adolph Namlik]

I just realized with this thread, and with all my Led Zep covers, I could be accused of being a fanboy.

I look back at the 2 dozen or so covers I have done and almost half of them are Led Zep.

I still think they are the greatest rock band, ever. And it's the whole jazz feel of the band, even with their heaviest stuff, that really gets to me. That is, it was not about "virtuosity," though each member was virtuouso in his own right. It was not about singing the highest note, even though every singer since the late 60's patterned his persona after Plant. It was not about the fastest note. It was about art.

I have seen and heard several live performances and Jimmy has never played the song the same way, twice in a row. Each show is a unique work of art.

But man, the songwriting, the breadth of style, the total dedication of art. Yeah, it's great that I can sing whatever Plant sings but I don't sound like him and I don't try to sound like him. But I totally get off on the jazz vibe and put that in there, when I am singing this stuff.

Sam, this should be testament to your skills and quality. I don't think I had this many comments on my cover of "The Rain Song."

Ron,

You're not the only Zep fan here..... I've seen Zeppelin in Pittsburgh, Pa. in '73 and '75. Also had tickets for the '80 concert in Buffalo. N.Y., but it was cancelled due to the unfortunate loss of Bonham !

With your comment >> "I have seen and heard several live performances and Jimmy has never played the song the same way, twice in a row. Each show is a unique work of art."

You're absolutely right in that assessment. Not only Jimmy, but also Plant, Bonham, and Jones certainly applies as well ! Both shows that I have seen were unique, and not identical at all.

I'm sure you've seen the "Song Remains the Same" special filmed at Madison Square Garden. If only they had filmed that special at the '73 performance in Pittsburgh !!! Definitely much better than the Madison Square Garden performance, and much longer as well !!! I was front and center, not 30 feet from the stage, and at my age now, it's a performance I'll NEVER forget !!!

Ahhhh...... I could go on and on.............

Hmmmm.... How did I miss your cover of "The Rain Song" ???

[ronws]

Ron,

You're not the only Zep fan here..... I've seen Zeppelin in Pittsburgh, Pa. in '73 and '75. Also had tickets for the '80 concert in Buffalo. N.Y., but it was cancelled due to the unfortunate loss of Bonham !

With your comment >> "I have seen and heard several live performances and Jimmy has never played the song the same way, twice in a row. Each show is a unique work of art."

You're absolutely right in that assessment. Not only Jimmy, but also Plant, Bonham, and Jones certainly applies as well ! Both shows that I have seen were unique, and not identical at all.

I'm sure you've seen the "Song Remains the Same" special filmed at Madison Square Garden. If only they had filmed that special at the '73 performance in Pittsburgh !!! Definitely much better than the Madison Square Garden performance, and much longer as well !!! I was front and center, not 30 feet from the stage, and at my age now, it's a performance I'll NEVER forget !!!

Ahhhh...... I could go on and on.............

Hmmmm.... How did I miss your cover of "The Rain Song" ???

A man after my own heart. No wonder we're friends.

As for my cover, well, I guess it flew under the radar. No video, no backing track. Just me converting JPJ's arrange to one six-string guitar, playing and singing at the same time, as I have done at many a campfire. And it was not well known song and was not yet another cover of a Journey song or any of the other popular bands here. I will email it to you, so as not to derail Sam's thread.

[gno]

Excellent production! Very nice. I love Zeppelin. I like the video production. I'm starting to get into video editing at work and would be interested in what you use, and how long that took to put together.

You already have your vocal style happening. You don't have to do anything different. Doesn't sound to me that you're using any adverse vocal technique, but only you would know if something hurts or doesn't feel right. And of course there is no end to improvement. So is there something that you want to improve on with you voice? Or are there things that you feel you might not be doing in a healthy way? (I couldn't tell)

[ronws]

Actually, Geno, I think he was just here for the applause, you know, the "review" part of the section title. Probably just googled, found the forum and the site, thought, cool, maybe I can get applause from some legit singers. Which is cool. I have some songs I never posted in the forum, only to the main site. Because there was nothing wrong with my voice or the song. It didn't need "fixing" and the temptation here is to fix something. And if we can't find it, then have the singer second-guess himself into thinking something is wrong. And if the singer says nothing is wrong, I thought I did fine, then others can respond and say, well, big whoop tee doo for you, then what are you doing here? This forum is for (long list of reasons).. and on, and on.

Sometimes, a good performance is just that, a good performance. It may be as rare as a blue moon, but they do happen. Or are we singers in this forum like college students who never left school, pursuing more graduate levels, dying by "degrees"?

[Adolph Namlik]

A man after my own heart. No wonder we're friends.

As for my cover, well, I guess it flew under the radar. No video, no backing track. Just me converting JPJ's arrange to one six-string guitar, playing and singing at the same time, as I have done at many a campfire. And it was not well known song and was not yet another cover of a Journey song or any of the other popular bands here. I will email it to you, so as not to derail Sam's thread.

"A man after my own heart. No wonder we're friends. :lol:"

You bet, Ron... But that's not the only reason we've become friends !!! :cool:

No, I don't want to derail the thread, either, but Thank you for sending your cover.... Both my grandson and I listened to it last night, and thought it was really great.... Not only the vocals but your guitar skills as well.

Speaking of emails, I received the others as well. I will definitely reply as soon as I can. I would have already, but this entire week has been rather insane for a number of reasons, and also, I spend time with my grandson on the weekends.... Sure, I still have yet to miss a day logging in to TMV, but the little dude gets my undivided attention otherwise.

Talk soon :cool:

[samj]

Excellent production! Very nice. I love Zeppelin. I like the video production. I'm starting to get into video editing at work and would be interested in what you use, and how long that took to put together.

You already have your vocal style happening. You don't have to do anything different. Doesn't sound to me that you're using any adverse vocal technique, but only you would know if something hurts or doesn't feel right. And of course there is no end to improvement. So is there something that you want to improve on with you voice? Or are there things that you feel you might not be doing in a healthy way? (I couldn't tell)

I edited the video with Adobe Premiere. For the 3d animation I used Cinema4D. The video footage was shot in my room with a Zoomm Q3HD handy cam. For the cut and the color effects I needed a rainy weekend. For the 3D animation I had about a week. I recorded the song with Cubase. For the guitars and the bass, I used a Kemper amp.

Since I never had singing lessons, and after concerts I'm sometimes very hoarse I have turned myself to this forum. I've discovered a lot of what I've done wrong and I'm glad for any tip I can get.

[samj]

As for my cover, well, I guess it flew under the radar. No video, no backing track. Just me converting JPJ's arrange to one six-string guitar, playing and singing at the same time, as I have done at many a campfire. And it was not well known song and was not yet another cover of a Journey song or any of the other popular bands here. I will email it to you, so as not to derail Sam's thread.

I would also like to hear your Zeppein Covers. You can post the links here in any case.:cool:

And please excuse me if I sometimes have a little longer with the answers, I am sometimes far away from a computer. I also frequently have a bad or no connection to the forum here from Switzerland.:|

[gno]

I edited the video with Adobe Premiere. For the 3d animation I used Cinema4D. The video footage was shot in my room with a Zoomm Q3HD handy cam. For the cut and the color effects I needed a rainy weekend. For the 3D animation I had about a week. I recorded the song with Cubase. For the guitars and the bass, I used a Kemper amp.

Since I never had singing lessons, and after concerts I'm sometimes very hoarse I have turned myself to this forum. I've discovered a lot of what I've done wrong and I'm glad for any tip I can get.

Thanks for the info. Premiere seems to be the pro editor of choice these days. I've converted from Vegas Pro to Final Cut Pro X and am very happy so far.

Well if you're hoarse after a performance that's not a good thing. You use a lot of compression which sounds very cool. And it sounds like you are using a lot of intensity, which also sounds cool, but you may be overdoing it. That may be ok for short periods of time, but for a long intense performance that could be the cause of hoarseness. Or, could be you're forcing some vowels that aren't centered and creating extra stress on the folds. There was one spot in your video which sounded like you may have been straining to reach - it was a higher note.

If you want to preserve your voice you may want to lighten it up a bit. Check out Daniel Formica's videos - he's a regular here, and a pro rock singer for many years. He's got one video on "support" which he talks about avoiding "squeezing" the cords together.

[ronws]

Live and breathe every word of Geno's in the above post.

Also, I will email you a link of my "Rain Song" cover, so as not to derail this thread. This thread is about you.

[samj]

Well if you're hoarse after a performance that's not a good thing. You use a lot of compression which sounds very cool. And it sounds like you are using a lot of intensity, which also sounds cool, but you may be overdoing it. That may be ok for short periods of time, but for a long intense performance that could be the cause of hoarseness. Or, could be you're forcing some vowels that aren't centered and creating extra stress on the folds. There was one spot in your video which sounded like you may have been straining to reach - it was a higher note.

If you want to preserve your voice you may want to lighten it up a bit. Check out Daniel Formica's videos - he's a regular here, and a pro rock singer for many years. He's got one video on "support" which he talks about avoiding "squeezing" the cords together.

Thanks for the links. I've watched the videos. they pretty much just put up what I've learned so far here in just a week. I'm really excited.

Live and breathe every word of Geno's in the above post.

Also, I will email you a link of my "Rain Song" cover, so as not to derail this thread. This thread is about you.

Thank you for the links. As I have already told you, I love this version.

[ronws]

Actually, Adolph, I emailed you the wrong link. It was an earlier version. I emailed Samy the updated version and I should send it to you, if you and your wonderful grandson can stand one more repitition. But it was a song so important to me. And funny thing, the arrangement you hear me play got me the one compliment I received from college friend Jeff, with whom I was with in Translucent Blue Plexiglass. He thought it was the best version on a six-string he had heard outside of the original, considering the original was a melatron and a 12-string.

[ronws]

And the compliment I gave to Samy in an email, I would also share here. He sang in his own voice, with the spirit intended in the song. I know, in the thread about cliches, I get some ribbing about that. But I just cannot apologize for treasuring each unique voice. So, good on you, Samy, for singing this song as if you wrote it. If I wanted to hear the Robert Plant version, I would go and listen to the original recording.

And so, I am looking forward to more of your singing, either of this band and style, or others.

[Adolph Namlik]

Actually, Adolph, I emailed you the wrong link. It was an earlier version. I emailed Samy the updated version and I should send it to you, if you and your wonderful grandson can stand one more repitition. But it was a song so important to me. And funny thing, the arrangement you hear me play got me the one compliment I received from college friend Jeff, with whom I was with in Translucent Blue Plexiglass. He thought it was the best version on a six-string he had heard outside of the original, considering the original was a melatron and a 12-string.

Regarding the six string >>> ABSOLUTELY !!!

A little side note : At my last visit to the "Guitar Center", my grandson and I checked out a couple of acoustic twelve strings.... Never had one in my hands before, and I just couldn't believe the awesome sound ! Now, it's just too bad I can't play the guitar :(

[Adolph Namlik]

And the compliment I gave to Samy in an email, I would also share here. He sang in his own voice, with the spirit intended in the song. I know, in the thread about cliches, I get some ribbing about that. But I just cannot apologize for treasuring each unique voice. So, good on you, Samy, for singing this song as if you wrote it. If I wanted to hear the Robert Plant version, I would go and listen to the original recording.

And so, I am looking forward to more of your singing, either of this band and style, or others.

SECOND THAT !!! It's precisely why samj was Featured :cool:

Ron,

When we get a few moments to talk, I'd like to make you an offer.... I think you will like it !!! :cool:

[ronws]

SECOND THAT !!! It's precisely why samj was Featured :cool:

Ron,

When we get a few moments to talk, I'd like to make you an offer.... I think you will like it !!! :cool:

No prob. Either I could try to call you during a break between crises at work, or on the weekend. I still have your number in my cell.

As far as learning guitar, hey, if I could do it, so can you. I never had lessons. I had my mother's old student guitar, a new set of strings she bought me, and Mel Bay's Book of Chords. Later, I bought a book on "lead guitar" and learned the modal scales, like Blues, mixylodian, locrian, phrygian (which Yngwie Malmesteen uses almost extensively, whereas I prefer the first two that I mentioned. In face, I once wrote an instrumental piece I titled "Locrian Gigue in E." Talk about pretentious ... )

Samy, I hope you don't mind Adolph and I kind of commandeering your thread. Adolph is a sweetheart and makes this forum and media site work. No doubt, thanks to logistical things he as learned in other career(s).